The United States has lifted sanctions on Maduro’s wife’s nephew

(File) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Celia Flores in Caracas

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Friday that the United States has lifted sanctions against the son-in-law of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s wife, just weeks after Washington announced it would take steps to encourage dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

Carlos Eric Malpica Flores was added to the sanctions list in 2017 on charges of involvement in corruption activities. According to the press, he is 49 years old and has held three key financial positions in Venezuela: national treasurer, finance director of the state oil company PDVSA and director of Venezuela’s Development Bank. He served in the Presidential Palace, Parliament and the Presidential Secretariat.

Gerrard Flight, a member of the Unity Platform, tweeted on Friday that the opposition political alliance had worked “closely with the United States on specific activities, aimed at reactivating the negotiation process under the MoU signed.”